


the path that brings you home

by ElasticElla



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 13:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7533727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has always told Maureen to stay away from the forest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the path that brings you home

**Author's Note:**

> for the shadowhunters femslash exchange, [come play](http://pineapplebooks.livejournal.com/1040.html)  
> ....this ended up taking a sharp left from the prompt, I hope you like it anyways nonny

Everyone has always told Maureen to stay away from the forest. Her mother tells her to stay close, has said it as long as she can remember. When she was young, her teachers chided her classmates when they played make believe about what may be below the heavy foliage. Older, the teachers handed out extra math to those that took too many steps towards the trees. Even the neighbors refused to look to the treeline, as though it just might stop existing if ignored long enough. 

Everyone has always told Maureen to stay away from the forest. 

Except the forest itself. 

The trees call to her, a far off beauty with seemingly every shade of green from a pale yellow-green to a deep dark nearly black emerald. 

Her mother always told her not to trust beauty, to seek the soul within. But how can Maureen know the forest without having ever been to its center? The thought haunts her, and Maureen seeks out an answer without entering. 

She searches the library, but even with the nice librarian Izzy's help, there's no answer to be found. Only vague half sentences and warnings, old tales in forgotten tongues. She asks her grandmother, against her better judgment perhaps. 

Her nana only sighs, and says, “No. The forest has claimed too many of our kin, promise me you won't go there. No one walks out of that forest whole.” 

Maureen promises, but the words already feel like a lie, leave her mouth stale. 

The very next morning, the forest calls out again and only when Maureen is there does she realize her feet have taken her to the treeline. There's a skinny dirt path, lined with polished grey stones, and Maureen gives into the temptation, into her curiosities as she walks into the woods. 

It's brighter than she imagined, louder too. The birds sing from every branch it seems, flashes of red and blue and brown and black feathers catching her eye. She turns back only once, her feet do not tire yet- but already she cannot see past the trees in any direction. The path can take her home though, and she worries not. 

There is a beautiful river, sparkling, past the path with a doe drinking. Maureen stills, cannot walk off the path to go closer but doesn't wish to leave the deer. She doesn't know how long she watches, but the doe eventually finishes, seemingly meets her eyes and bounds off. Maureen intends to go home then, but she already feels near home. The forest is familiar somehow, perhaps she's imagined it too many times- though never peaceful like this.

As if sensing her thoughts, a cat appears before her then, sitting in the middle of the path. It's the first thing in the forest that isn't beautiful- is a rather ugly cat if truth be told, with long grey fur and a squashed face. All the terrible legends cycle through Maureen's mind then, somehow held at bay before. Of warlocks that ate children whole, werewolves without control, giants with limitless appetites, faeries that stole people away to other realms forevermore. Maureen's about to turn back, the cat must be a sign and it has to be getting late by now, when the cat looks at her imperiously and then walks right off the path. 

She almost expects the forest to swallow the cat whole- a ridiculous notion to be sure- and the cat stops at a fallen log, a dozen steps away. The cat looks directly at Maureen and starts meowing. It keeps meowing, lays down and kicks its feet up, meowing all the while. 

Maureen intends to turn around and walk home. 

Somehow she ends up a dozen steps over instead, scratching the cat's stomach. 

“Oh, who's a good kitty?” Maureen asks softly, smiling as the cat begins to purr. 

The cat jumps up then, goes another dozen or so steps away, and begins meowing anew. 

Against Maureen's better judgment, she follows. 

She follows until the path is completely lost, and dusk has long settled, the forest dim. The birds still chirp, louder now and harder to find. The cat brings her to a clearing, no longer stopping to be pet, assuming she'll follow. 

There's a quaint little house made of stones, and there's a path that looks almost like the one she came from- but the stones are black instead of grey. A witch, Maureen deduces with a heavy heart, as the cat curls around her legs. Bathed in moonlight, the witch looks to be as beautiful as the forest itself and for a wild moment she's convinced this _is_ the forest's soul.

But then the witch's eyes light up and a large smile hits her lips, and while she is somehow more beautiful for it, she also looks so human in that moment- far more human than goddess. 

“Maureen! I can't believe you made it through- it's me, Clary.” 

And Clary wraps her in a tight hug as Maureen remembers her best friend from elementary school that disappeared in fifth grade. 

“I'm so glad you're okay!” Maureen exclaims, standing back a bit but keeping her hands on her shoulders. “You are okay right?”

Clary laughs, gesturing to the cat, “Yes. I was worried about Church but you brought him back.” 

“Have you been here this whole time?” Maureen asks, looking at the small cottage dubiously. “You can come back with me, we have a guest room.” 

Clary smiles, taking her hand from her shoulder. “That's very sweet of you.” Clary stops, frowning and squeezing her hand lightly, “The forest has made you cold, come in, I'll make you some tea.” 

Maureen follows, and stepping through the doorway the quaint cottage turns into a near castle- high walls and windows, potions and ingredients where ever she looks. Maureen swallows, sitting down at the kitchen counter as Clary sets about boiling some water. 

“So um, you're a… you do magic?” Maureen asks. 

Clary lets out a little laugh, “I try to. I'm not very good at it yet, I'm only an apprentice. This is my mentor's home.” 

A much prettier cat jumps up into Maureen's lap, and she's already petting it before she thinks to.

“Also his cats,” Clary adds, “that's the Chairman.” 

“Very cute,” Maureen says. “So do you live here now?” 

Clary shakes her head, pouring tea for both of them. “I'm just house and potion sitting this week.”

Maureen smiles, “Huh, how lucky that I came today then.” 

Clary blushes, looking down for a moment. “Er, about that. I um, might have accidentally charmed you here?” 

Maureen raises an eyebrow, and Clary starts talking faster and apologetically. “I was just trying to do a bit of scrying for dragons, and a potion to find out my first love, and a charm to bring Church back here. But someone,” Clary pauses to glare at the purring Chairman in Maureen's lap, “knocked the cauldron over.” 

Maureen sips the tea, a nice spicy blend with a little cinnamon, “I don't follow.” 

Clary fiddles with her cup, “On your way here, could you have turned around and gone home?”

Maureen wants to say _of course I could have_ , but the words stick in her throat as she remembers the times she thought about turning back and how something not quite reasonable always stopped her. “I… I don't think so.” 

Clary winces, “I'm _so_ sorry. I'll walk you back through the forest right now if you want to go home.”

Maureen knows she should say yes, it may be her only chance to leave the forest. But it doesn't sound like a frightening prospect anymore, all she can think about is-

“So I'm your first love then?” 

Clary nods, “If you want to be.” 

Maureen doesn't think that's how magic or prophesy or whatever works. But Maureen also thinks they could easily fall in love here: running through the woods, swimming in the river, bathing in green tinted light, relearning one another. She can see a future reflected in Clary's eyes, and the possibility leaves her breathless and a little dizzy. 

“Let's start with a date then,” Maureen suggests, and Clary grins. 

“I'd like that.”


End file.
